[The hand of the patient under periodic hemodialysis treatment. Comparative radiographic and xeroradiographic aspects].

Renal osteodystrophy is the skeletal response to long-standing chronic renal disease. The radiographic features include hyperparathyroidism (osteitis fibrosa cystica), rickets or osteomalacia, osteoporosis, osteosclerosis and soft tissue and vascular calcifications. Many investigators have verified that changes in the phalanges of the hand are the most sensitive indicator of renal osteodystrophy, especially subperiosteal bone resorption. The hands of 50 chronic dialysis patients were evaluated for at least one year for tuftal resorption (acro-osteolysis), subperiosteal and intracortical bone resorption, and periosteal new bone formation (periosteal neostosis), using fine detail radiography and optical magnification. At last control, only in a group of 17 subjects (34%), xeroradiography of the hand was also performed. Results indicate the importance of the use of fine detail radiography in the early diagnosis of renal osteodystrophy and that serial radiography of the hand is a proper method of evaluating progressive bone resorption. In addition, a significant difference (p less than 0.05) is demonstrated between xeroradiography and radiography to evaluate periosteal neostosis.